[Britster]

OK, first, I am soooo sorry for that poor sweet innocent child who had to go through this. I am extremely empathic towards the parents, as my mother has lost a child, and many folks in the media are quick to say "it was the parents fault!!!" (my brother drowned at a public pool) where it's simply not the case.

With that said, Pit Bulls, as a breed, are known family dogs. They are one of THE top dogs to have as a family statistically. Pit's were bred to be DOG aggressive, not human, and any dog that was born with human aggression was killed in order for that trait to be bred out of them. Many Pit's are not dog aggressive nowadays but many do still have that trait. A Pit will go for another dog/animal before going for a human. Also, Golden's and Labs, I believe, are above the Pit on the bite list. What does this all boil down to? BAD breeding.

Also, "lock jaw" is NOT true. That IS a myth. Honestly, the reason pits are so popular with irresponsible sorts it's because they're so stable in temperment. One guy told me that he'd rather have a pit than a Dobe or a Rott because if he beat a Dobe or Rott it would take his arm off, but a pit won't bite you no matter what. Ever seen people who sickeningly FIGHT these dogs... they can beat 'em, do whatever, yet the Pit will still gladly come over and give them a kiss on the face. That's how loyal they are.

In the 70's it was Dobies. In the 80's it was German Shepherds. In the 90's it was Rotties. Pits are the "it" name of today. Why don't ya ever hear about Goldens attacking family members? It wouldn't be as interesting on the news. The name Pit Bull attracts people. People LIKE hearing bad things. Ever notice how the news never, or rarely, has positive stories? They would much rather play a story about a Pit killing someone, over a Pit who is a certified therapy dog. It's more appealing to the masses. That's why ban restriction doesn't work... who are they to say which breeds get put down or removed from cities and which ones don't... so let's say Goldens suddenly become bigger attackers, now Golden's are banned from cities and states?

They aren't 'harmful', they don't attack randomly. It's all about training and being in the right/wrong hands. They ARE a powerful dog who needs a lot of mental and physical stimulation. They are not always dog friendly, but should never show any aggression towards people. Good breeders know this. Problem is too many people are breeding them out of the wazoo, and not paying ANY attention to temperament or genetics. Which is NO fault of the dog. Humans created Pit Bulls and now we are destroying them.

Education is key. Not killing these dogs or getting rid of a whole wonderful breed. People really need to be better informed about them and information needs to be put out there more. Which is why I think it's so wonderful Animal Planet is airing "Pit Boss" etc and showing how amazing they can be.